The restaurant was spacious, with ample room around the tables. EeDeChi and Brain faced each other coldly, standing at opposite ends of the open space, preparing for a showdown.
EeDeChi remained expressionless, her gait lazy as she stood casually, seemingly dismissing Brain entirely.
On the other side, Brain appeared serious, left hand gripping the scabbard, right hand on the hilt of his sword, feet positioned for attack.
With a slight arc, Brain drew his sword halfway out of its sheath. EeDeChi's languid eyes suddenly gleamed, fixed on the blade in Brain's hand.
The adventurer captain furrowed her brow slightly, just as her hand reached for the giant sword behind her, Brain struck.
He leaped forward, sword slashing out of its sheath, his strong arm flashing with cold light as the blade swung down towards EeDeChi's head!
However, he intentionally used the back of the blade, so when it struck EeDeChi's head, it only made a dull "thud" sound.
Victory in hand! Brain was satisfied, sheathing his sword with a smirk. "You were boasting just now, thought you were tough. Turns out, not so much."
When he made his attacked, EeDeChi's expression was blank, caught completely off guard. Without hesitation, he swung the back of his blade at the head of this naive adventurer girl, teaching her a harsh lesson she wouldn't soon forget.
Brain had expected a serious reaction from the solemn girl after a hit on her head. It would have been amusing to see her cry out or hold her head, but EeDeChi remained expressionless, leaving Brain uninterested.
"Obviously, your skills can't support your arrogance. Go practice more," Brain shook his head, preparing to return to his seat at the banquet.
"Wait, let's go again," EeDeChi adjusted her hair messed up by the back of the sword and called after him.
Brain waved his hand, "The game's over, no need."
"If you're too scared to fight, then show me your sword," EeDeChi's tone remained impolite, with a hint of command.
Looks like this guy hasn't learned her lesson yet, Brain thought.
"Fine, let's have another round then."
Brain returned to the open space, and the two faced off again. Brain swiftly drew his sword, the cold light gleaming. The fierce blade swept through the air, casting a silver web that enveloped EeDeChi like a torrential storm.
But this time was different. EeDeChi shifted her stance slightly, dodging and weaving through Brain's intricate sword strikes like a black streak darting through a net of blades.
Taking a step back, Brain sheathed his sword, his expression turning stern. He could feel that his opponent's movements had suddenly accelerated, unusually so.
EeDeChi looked at Brain and finally drew the giant sword behind her, offering a sincere suggestion, "Perhaps you could use Martial Art."
A twitch played on Brain's lips. He had underestimated her, it seemed. Time to get serious. Though using Martial Art could be deadly, a lesson was in order.
Pressing his left thumb against the round guard of the sword, he pushed the blade out of the sheath by an inch with his right hand firmly gripping the hilt, his gaze intensely focused.
image [https://pm1.aminoapps.com/8708/43b9a601b69459bb09ce9baea41bd8f637b3d0a4r1-1024-1024v2_uhq.jpg]
In an instant, his pupils widened.
Martial Art · Field, activate!
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Martial Art · God Flash, activate!
Combining the two, Martial Art · Tiger's Throat Bite!
Brain leaped forward like a tiger pouncing on its prey, the sharp, cold light like thunderous force bursting from the sheath, slashing toward EeDeChi's arm!
The long sword hesitated, its sharp edge sinking into the ground like a mountain cleaving through a crack, the raging power disappearing without a trace.
Brain's face showed utter shock as he stared blankly at his sword, while EeDeChi calmly held onto the blade. She gripped the long, sharp blade as if it were an ordinary iron rod.
"Did you really use Martial Art?" Through the glaring blade, EeDeChi asked sincerely, without a hint of mockery in her tone.
"You..." Instinctively, Brain tried to retract the sword, but it seemed fused with EeDeChi as if cast in stone. No matter how much force he exerted to pull it out, the blade remained unmoved.
EeDeChi gripped the blade and gave it a sharp tug, transmitting a powerful force to the hilt. Brain staggered forward, nearly falling as he let go of the sword in retreat.
Brain looked at EeDeChi, his eyes filled with fear. Suddenly, he recalled that fateful night when he first seriously doubted his own martial skills—the night of the silver-haired loli in a black dress. Just like now, she effortlessly seized his sword in the face of his deadliest move, then defeated him with the nail of her pinky finger.
EeDeChi was less stirred by Brain's reaction. She examined the sword she had wrested away, its slender blade shimmering under the white light of the magic crystal chandelier, its unique slight curve catching the glint.
Still holding the blade, EeDeChi murmured to herself, "Look at these patterns, the blade's shape, and the stingray skin on the handle—it's definitely a Japanese katana."
The captain of the adventurers examined the long sword in her hand and activated a spell:
5th Tier Magic · High-tier Item Appraisal!
Lines of text appeared before her eyes.
[Item Name: Japanese Katana]
[Type: Sword]
[Source: Item generated by the YGGDRASIL system]
[Quality: Decent]
[Enchantments: Sharp edge, rust-free, lotus leaf surface]
[Note: This was a weapon once used by the subordinate of one of the Eight Greed Kings' favorite underlings—Gray Night Samurai.]
[古代の戦場(Ancient battlefield)
土地を引き出すナイフ(A blade that draws out the land)
血の音(The sound of blood)]
EeDeChi's gaze lingered on the perplexing Japanese text at the end for a moment, frowning in thought. "Is this... Japanese haiku written by Google Translate?"
Barrett, watching from the sidelines, shook his head inwardly. Such an outcome didn't surprise him, given his full awareness of the captain's abilities.
However, he couldn't help but think to himself that EeDeChi went too far in trying to appear strong before the princess. Taking a hit on the head just to put on a show seemed overly dramatic and unnecessary.
Barrett had misjudged her.
In fact, from the beginning of the duel, EeDeChi had noticed the uniquely styled blade when Brain drew his sword. Judging from its shape, she deduced that it was highly likely a Japanese katana.
But this is the world of swords and magic, why is there a katana? So, EeDeChi, who was originally indifferent, was stunned for a moment and took a hit from Brain on her head. Of course, even if Brain used the blade to strike her, he wouldn't have been able to harm her at all.
Gathering her thoughts, EeDeChi looked at Brain with a serious expression and asked, "Where did you get this sword?"
Brain didn't answer her question. His face was filled with sorrow, "Are you... going to kill me?"
He still remembered the night facing Shalltear, the silver-haired little girl in a black dress, when he realized he could never catch up to the enemy's strength no matter how hard he tried. There was no escape, no retreat, and his heart was filled with despair and fear. Now, encountering this adventurer with equally terrifying strength, he thought she was of the same kind as Shalltear.
"Why would I kill you?" EeDeChi frowned. "What's wrong with you, not being able to handle even a bit of failure? Your complexion doesn't look right. Eat first, and I'll ask you questions after dinner."
EeDeChi understood clearly the significance of the information carried by this sword—YGGDRASIL, the Eight Greed Kings, Gray Night Samurai—they were all extremely important. Just like Ainz Ooal Gown, they probably didn't originally belong to this world.
Princess Reneer, who had been sitting quietly at the banquet, approached, inviting the disoriented Brain back to his seat to continue enjoying the dinner. Brain was currently under her wing and had done some tasks for her.
Princess Reneer had originally hoped to win over EeDeChi, so she organized a simple banquet and personally invited the Last Defender of the Way adventurer team to attend. But she hadn't expected EeDeChi to be someone who disregarded the royal family entirely, behaving crudely and causing Reneer deep trouble. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to ask EeDeChi to leave.
Just then, Brain walked in, and an argument ensued with EeDeChi, leading to a brawl.
As the host of the banquet, she should have stopped this duel, but she wanted to use Brain, the genius swordsman, to dampen EeDeChi's spirit, so she refrained from intervening. However, she never expected EeDeChi to effortlessly defeat Brain, who was highly skilled and on par with the former Royal Warrior Captain Gazef, raising EeDeChi's status significantly in her eyes.
As the banquet ended, everyone was full and content, except for Brain, Sean, and Stella.
Setting down her wine glass, Princess Reneer turned to face EeDeChi with sincerity, "I have a task I'd like to entrust to you. Could we speak privately?"